The key to England’s success under Sarina Wiegman has been consistency but injuries are causing uncertainty, an unfamiliar feeling for the Lionesses. Entering the World Cup without some key players is a problem but they have plenty who know how to be successful to counteract the losses.
One player who has excelled under Wiegman is Keira Walsh. She is in Australia after a Champions League-winning campaign with Barcelona, so will be confident. As a deep-lying playmaker, she is crucial to England’s style and opponents know that. Walsh is a highly intelligent player who reads the game superbly and has been targeted recently because teams know if they stop her they give themselves a good chance of winning. Australia showed the blueprint in April by disarming Walsh and England struggled because of it, losing 2-0. Other teams will follow suit during the World Cup.
England under Wiegman play a possession style, meaning someone with Walsh’s qualities on the ball is vital to bring fluidity. Individuals have to get used to the connections between players and understand those relationships, which come by playing regularly, but because of the forced changes within the team these are not as strong. The players will want to have the confidence to understand each other’s movements and runs, so having Walsh operating effectively at the base will help speed up this process because she is so clever in what she does.
The absence of Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead through injury is well documented. Williamson is a leader on and off the pitch, and will be a huge loss; we cannot shy away from this. Mead’s influence during the Euros triumph was unmistakable and Kirby, although she did not get the headlines, was impressive throughout that campaign in the No 10 role. Furthermore, Jill Scott and Ellen White, two players who brought an incredible level of experience, professionalism, attitude and mentality, have retired. Those are five key players with experience of winning a major tournament who are not in the squad 12 months after England defeated Germany at Wembley.
I like to focus on the positives, however, and the absence of these players has given an opportunity to others. England have had a stable lineup and uncertainty over who will start could be a silver lining because opponents may be a little unsure over who Wiegman will select and in what position. Six months ago any team playing England would have had a detailed plan because they knew who they would be facing.
One player who will get a chance is Lauren James. She is a different style of player to Mead and is not an out-and-out winger, preferring to drift inside and cause problems in different areas. She has consistently impressed me for a long time and it will be fascinating to see how she performs on the world stage.
What is for certain is that this is a united squad. We have seen togetherness relating to their bonuses. We have got to a point where the ideal would be for players to be talking solely about football going into a major tournament but the sport is at a stage where male and female players are being asked about everything away from football, too. They are, rightly, seen as role models and therefore speak at times about so many other things, which can be quite difficult. I hope now the team can be left to focus on the football, after stepping back from negotiations to do what they do on the pitch.
I have interviewed a couple of the players and everyone seems excited. The environment seems really good. A young or new player coming into this squad should be thriving because they are part of a winning team with an aura about them and working with a top manager.
What we see against Haiti on Saturday will probably be the blueprint for the remainder of England’s tournament. England will be heavy favourites in their opening fixture but it will not be as easy as many expect. Haiti have some good players, including the 19-year-old Melchie Dumornay, who has just signed for one of Europe’s best clubs, Lyon. She is being touted as one of the world’s greatest young talents and will pose a threat. Their squad will be willing to run through a brick wall and they have a great harmony so should not be underestimated.
The first match of a tournament is really challenging because I am sure the players will be a little nervous and arrive without much momentum. We saw this in the Euros when England defeated Austria 1-0; it was not a great performance but they got the job done and earned a platform, before gathering momentum as the tournament progressed. The first goal will be crucial for England – especially after three games without one, including the behind-closed-doors friendly against Canada – and then they can relax because it will settle the nerves.
It is not going to be easy for England to win the World Cup; with the injuries, they might not play the same free-flowing football as in the Euros. It may be more a case of nicking games by a single goal. Ultimately, they will need to be united and dig deep to reach the final.
